Palak Bhaji (Maharashtrian Style Spinach Bhaji)

पालकाची पळीवाढी भाजी
Everyone has their own way of cooking and I enjoy learning from my friends their way of making certain recipes. I used to make this same bhaji in a very different way and Renuka, my friend, came to stay with me and this is one of the recipes I learned from her.

Soak daal and peanuts in cup of water for an hour. Meanwhile clean spinach and chop fine and set it aside. After an hour mix daal/peanuts and spinach and pressure cook with 1-2 whistles.
After pressure cooker cools down whisk the cooked daal, spinach add besan to it. Also add salt, red chili powder, goda masala, jaggery. Squeeze pulp out from soaked tamarind and add pulp to the spinach mix too. Let all boil for 5-6 minutes.
Chop garlic, I prefer smashing it first and then chopping. Break red chilies in 2 pieces.
Heat oil in small kadhai (phodanichi vaati), add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric and chopped garlic. Let it sizzle and then add red chilies. Turn the gas off. Add the phodaNi to boiling spinach bhaji and turn it off.
Serve warm with rice or chapati.Tips -

You can add few cashew pieces, sliced dried coconut to the phoDaNi and add 1 more tbsp oil.

You can make same bhaji using taro(patra/Aluchi bhaji) leaves. You will have to add little more tamarind. You should also use peeled and chopped Taro/patra stems.

You can use goda masala recipe from Anita, can be found here or from Jyotsna and can be found here

Comments

Awesome! One of my favorite Bhajis - My granny used to make this aLuchi bhaji with just perfect amount of tangy 'chincha-gooL' combo which converted us from 'never-eat-green-vegetables-happily' kids :)

I had been eyeing this spinach recipe on your blog since a long time, but finally got to make it yesterday. Loved, loved, loved it! Gave me the feel of the original "aaLuchee bhaajee" ... totally! I am going to be making this more often! :)